Bertrand Mestre
Bertrand Mestre is a French merchant and co-owner of the Bonne-Entreprise, a 10-gun 'Limburg' Flute. Though not politically affiliated with any one country or cartel, Mestre tends to deal more with French merchants and the French trade unions, with whom he has developed a working relationship. Early Life Bertrand Mestre was born at Port-de-Paix to merchants Antoine and Marie Mestre. During his early years, he saw little of his father who was busy hunting for merchandise and bargains. His family's trade afforded him the tutelage of Francois Legrand, the town's teacher, to whom the children of the privileged were entrusted. It was assessed early on that he had a certain capacity for figures, though he hated executing even the simplest of calculations. At sixteen years of age, Bertrand joined his father aboard the Bonne-Aventure and learned the realities of sailing. For five years, he apprenticed himself to his father's practical knowledge and made his way up the command structure like any other man would. Thinking it would provide him with an "authentic" experience, his father first hired him as a deckhand and gave him a salary to match, and allowed him to work his way up to first mate. First Mate of the Bonne-Aventure Antoine Mestre's method of dealing and bartering was thoroughly unscientific. He kept no logs, no record books, and did everything by memory. He invested little trust in banks, though it did not matter since most of his wealth took on the form of bought goods which he would sell at the next port. Once Bertrand ascended to first mate, he started out to change all of this. He began by keeping logs of what came on and off of the ship, a record which grew to include every one of his father's transactions. Through this rigorous bookkeeping, their enterprise boomed. However, when a fire broke out in the docks of Fort-de-France, the Bonne-Aventure was damaged severely in the blaze and could not be recovered. The pair disbanded their crew and salvaged what they could before hiring a transport back to Port-de-Paix. Grounded Over the following year, they invested whatever money they had left in the enterprises of others. At the end of said year, they had amassed a small enough fortune that they were able to take to the seas once more in the 'Limburg' Flute Bonne-Entreprise. Antoine, seeing that his son would be better off managing the family business independent from him, surprised him by offering to have him stay in Port-de-Paix. Bertrand agreed and permanently set up shop that year. From that point on, he would act as his father's compass, provider, and boss (in some respects). Personality and Traits Bertrand is an ambitious and charming man. His success in business is often attributed to his almost scientific approach to everything he does. He measures, quantifies, and labels his merchandise carefully, and is reputed for selling his merchandise at "exactly the price it is worth" while still pressing his providers for a bargain. In conversation, he often recalls anecdotes to entertain his company, and can often go on about a subject for hours if he is not interrupted. He is also a proficient swordsman, having been taught a formal form of fencing during his education. Category:Character Category:French